


It's About Respect

by yormgen



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Boundaries, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, akira respects morgana so he's morgana's favorite dont tell lady ann, cats making biscuits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-03 18:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10972803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yormgen/pseuds/yormgen
Summary: “It’s like these kids have never touched a cat in their lives!” He hisses, head pressing against Akira’s hip, absently kneading his paws against Akira's thigh. “Not that I’m a cat.”





	It's About Respect

It's not the petting, as much as it is the implication.

In a way, Morgana says as much, that it hurts him to be reduced to just a pet, or some mascot, and that most of Akira’s team don’t have the _tact_ to just pet him  _gently_. “It’s like these kids have never touched a cat in their lives!” He hisses, head pressing against Akira’s hip, absently kneading his paws against Akira's thigh. “Not that I’m a cat.”

Akira nods, accommodating. "Maybe they get too rough because they know you're stronger than a normal cat?"

"You never tug at my face, or grab my tail or pull my ears," Morgana stretches his legs, briefly slipping against the fabric of Akira's sweatpants. "What's that say about you? Do you think I'm a normal, too-delicate cat, like all your past pets?"

"I don't have any past pets. I wouldn't want to hurt you just because I thought you could take it."

Morgana stares for a moment, because that isn't really an answer to his question. "Well, good," he grumbles, settling out of the stretch, front paws still pushed to Akira's side.

 

Akira makes an active effort not to patronize Morgana, and generally keeps his hands to himself, letting Morgana commandeer his own personal space. Morgana has a maternal wiseness that Akira respects, and constant wit that reminds Akira more of teasing sibling than of a cat.

But, Morgana has habits. There's the rumbling, when Morgana perches on Akira’s shoulder to join a conversation he enjoys, or when Akira answers correctly in class, or when Morgana likes whatever food Sojiro sets for him that night. Akira never dares to comment on the purring, to put Morgana in the position to explain away something that surely comes too naturally to stop, and too specifically to deny for what it is. Akira's as use to the purring as he is the vibration of a phone in his pocket.

There are other obvious ticks, the self-grooming, the hissing, the constant craving for sushi, the aversion towards dogs, most of which one of their friends give their quip on, saving Akira the trouble.

The paw kneading is newer, though. It only happens when Morgana is settled for the night, and it seems to be an unconscious action. Morgana never presses into Akira with his claws and it isn’t uncomfortable, so Akira never feels the need to make it a Thing.

Akira can’t pinpoint when exactly Morgana picked it up. Sometime around Haru joining the group.

He remembers enough about cats to know it was an instinctual comfort-habit picked up from kitten-hood, but he’s not positive Morgana ever was a kitten. Quick google searches made out of Morgana’s eye shot simplified it to something a cat just did when they were comfortable and safe. If that's true, he's glad Morgana feels that way with him.

Akira doesn’t realize he's moving his hand until Morgana starts that rumbling.

“We have a little under a week to send the calling card off to wwwhat are you doing, Akira?” Morgana manages through a conflicted purr, paws stopping their methodical biscuits.

Akira pauses, fingers just touching one of Morgana’s twitching ears. There wasn't much of an excuse to work from. “I’m sorry. I promise I’m still listening.”

Morgana stares at him hard. Akira hadn’t tried to pet Morgana since that day on the train, and while he’d been gentle enough to keep an embarrassing experience from becoming mortifying for Morgana, it felt silly to ask if he was allowed to do it again.

Morgana’s ear twitches again against Akira’s fingers, but he doesn’t pull away from it. “Anyway,” Morgana’s paws presses into his thigh again, “Futaba said she would have the preparations for the calling card done by Friday. Before then…”

The lack of punishment is surprising, emboldening. Morgana, still discussing the plans, allows Akira to carefully smooth his fingers against Morgana’s cheeks, where Futaba was tugging earlier. From there, he moves to the back of Morgana’s head, scratching where he watched Ann poke during the meeting. Morgana briefly hooks a claw into Akira’s sleep pants, but retracts it quickly. Akira scratches down Morgana’s back.

“We need to…” Morgana trails. “That’s very distracting, Akira.”

Akira smiles, hoping for an innocent look, and smooths his hand down Morgana’s back again. “Sorry. Should I stop?”

Morgana’s eyes narrow at him for a long moment, then he sighs, resting his head against Akira’s leg. “Whatever, you already know most of this. We can go over it in the morning.”

Akira feels Morgana purr, uninterrupted by heist discussion. He tilts his head to see Morgana’s face. “Is this okay?”

“Even if it wasn’t, would you stop?”

Akira pauses his scratching near Morgana’s shoulder, concerned, until Morgana squirms, pressing back into his hand. Smiling, he scratches back up to Morgana’s ear. “Of course I would. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Morgana huffs. “At least that makes one of you.”

“Does it feel good?”

Morgana sounds like a truck engine. “Please don’t make me answer that out loud.”

**Author's Note:**

> akira's out here living yu narukami's dream, all-cat-all-the-time.
> 
> talk p5 to me on tumblr (@tolbyccia) or twitter (@yyormgen)


End file.
